S37: David vs. Goliath: Previews & Speculation without Spoilers

[Ms Blue Jay]

Wow.  Somebody told me DIRECTOR/ACTOR MIKE WHITE is going to be on this season.

I'm a HUGE fan of this guy.  Mostly because of The School of Rock, which is in my Top 20 movies of all time, I just adore it, and I've watched it so many times.  But I also very strongly recommend his show "Enlightened" and the very new movie "Brad's Status", both of which are wonderful!

I'm really really excited now!  I hope he doesn't get kicked off immediately, but I really don't think the Goliath parts of the cast will be as film nerdy as I am, but that's totally just me stereotyping!

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/survivor-david-goliath-mike-white-john-hennigan-cast-season-37-1114211

[LadyChatts]

I like the fact that he isn’t going to try and hide his past.  Maybe he’d get recognized and it’d blow up in his face anyway if he did try to lie, but I’m curious to see if that hurts him regardless.

I think it might depend whether the Goliaths are star struck or feel intidimated by his success. 

[cooksdelight]

I’m betting White gets voted off early, unless he’s some sort of superhuman challenge beast.

[Guest]

I watched him on both seasons of TAR he did, and am not super excited to see him again.  I have nothing really against him, though I strongly disliked Enlightened.  I feel like if they’re going to mine Hollywood  there are about a thousand other people I’d rather see play than him for a third time.   

[LadyChatts]

I’m not a big fan of his from his TAR stints, either, but I’m always curious to see how people do crossing over from one show to another.  

[Oscirus]

Speculation, challenges will more likely favor the davids over the goliaths and we'll have a likely david winner. That and Johnny mundo will likely work my last nerve.

[ratgirlagogo]

5 hours ago, Oscirus said:

Johnny mundo will likely work my last nerve.

From the promo it looks as though that will be by his design, I'm sure.  As a wrestler he generally plays a heel or close-to-heel character.  He's on Impact Wrestling now but I assume he was cast because one of the many companies  he wrestled in was  Lucha Underground, a Mark Burnett production.  I'll be curious to see how he does on the show - wrestlers are used to staying in character on (and tradtionally, even off)  camera, but also have to get along well with the other wrestlers in the company.  BTW for those who don't follow wrestling he's a much bigger star than Jonny Fairplay was.

Edited May 27, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[SVNBob]

6 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

From the promo it looks as though that will be by his design, I'm sure.  As a wrestler he generally plays a heel or close-to-heel character.  He's on Impact Wrestling now but I assume he was cast because one of the many companies  he wrestled in was  Lucha Underground, a Mark Burnett production.  I'll be curious to see how he does on the show - wrestlers are used to staying in character on (and tradtionally, even off)  camera, but also have to get along well with the other wrestlers in the company.  BTW for those who don't follow wrestling he's a much bigger star than Jonny Fairplay was.

Indeed he is.  He's a former WWE Intercontinental Champion and a multi-time Tag Team Champion.  And one of his tag team partners was Mike Mizanin, better known as "The Miz" from the Real World (and associated Challenges).  He's also done a handful of B-movies, including Sharknado 5, and was also in the pilot episode of the Netflix GLOW series.

[Nashville]

14 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

From the promo it looks as though that will be by his design, I'm sure.  As a wrestler he generally plays a heel or close-to-heel character.  He's on Impact Wrestling now but I assume he was cast because one of the many companies  he wrestled in was  Lucha Underground, a Mark Burnett production.  I'll be curious to see how he does on the show - wrestlers are used to staying in character on (and traditionally, even off)  camera, but also have to get along well with the other wrestlers in the company.  BTW for those who don't follow wrestling he's a much bigger star than Jonny Fairplay was.

Uhhh, depends.  :)   One of the more interesting airport experiences I’ve ever had was having to catch an early commuter flight out of Nashville one Sunday morning back around 1987 or do for work, in order to be on-site Monday morning.  Unbeknownst to me, a big WWF match had taken place downtown the night before - and a major chunk of the players were down there with me at the American Eagle gates section on the lower concourse waiting on a flight to their next gig in Evansville - and it being moderately early on a Sunday morning, we had the entire concourse pretty much to ourselves.  

The night before they had been throwing each other out of the ring, slamming each other with folding chairs, declaring eternal enmity at the top of their voices, etc., etc. - but the morning after you had Randy Savage, Elizabeth, and George “The Animal” Steele sitting together over here discussing the previous night’s bout, while over there you had Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and Honky Tonk Man strolling around the concourse together talking about where they could get something to eat.  Oddest thing in the world to see - and pretty cool, actually.  :>

[Netfoot]

Why do they continue to title these shows with something like "David vs. Goliath" when we all know that by episode #3 Probst will be "Drap yar buffs" and mix them all up?

[Guest]

God, I hope they drop the theme that soon.  I’m afraid we’ll be hearing confessionals all season referencing it.  

[ratgirlagogo]

9 hours ago, Nashville said:

The night before they had been throwing each other out of the ring, slamming each other with folding chairs, declaring eternal enmity at the top of their voices, etc., etc. - but the morning after you had Randy Savage, Elizabeth, and George “The Animal” Steele sitting together over here discussing the previous night’s bout, while over there you had Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and Honky Tonk Man strolling around the concourse together talking about where they could get something to eat.  Oddest thing in the world to see - and pretty cool, actually.  :

Well, yes.  Since as you pointed out they knew they weren't likely to encounter any locals in that place at that hour - kayfabe was relaxed, for the moment.  And in more recent years, ever since the development of the Web in the mid 90's  the wrestling culture is less strict about it than it used to be.  Even back in the ECW days they'd all (well, almost all)  be hanging around in the parking lot together with the fans after the show.   But that's not to say that kayfabe doesn't continue in new ways -  precisely because of the new social media "transparency", when storyline feuds are conducted on Facebook and Twitter many fans are CONVINCED that storyline feuds are real.  I'm just looking forward to seeing how Mundo plays his part.  I do think he's going to have a major problem with lowered calorie intake, as most of these big buff guys do on Survivor.

Edited May 28, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[Nashville]

8 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I do think [Mundo’s] going to have a major problem with lowered calorie intake, as most of these big buff guys do on Survivor.

Wasn’t that exactly one of the reasons cited by Osten in S7 when he earned the distinction of being Survivor’s First Quitter?

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Nashville said:

Wasn’t that exactly one of the reasons cited by Osten in S7 when he earned the distinction of being Survivor’s First Quitter?

I was curious so I googled.  Apparently, Osten says he quit because he was pissed about the season's twist and because he had multiple staph infections.  

I think a lot of the body builder guys don't realize how hard it is and how little your biceps and other 'mirror muscles' really help, as opposed to say just being wiry, agile and strong like an Ozzy.  All that bulk is no asset out there.  I think it's common knowledge now among players that you're better off doing Crossfit type exercises that focus more on functional movement, if you want to condition yourself best for Survivor.  

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I was curious so I googled.  Apparently, Osten says he quit because he was pissed about the season's twist and because he had multiple staph infections.  

I think a lot of the body builder guys don't realize how hard it is and how little your biceps and other 'mirror muscles' really help, as opposed to say just being wiry, agile and strong like an Ozzy.  All that bulk is no asset out there.  I think it's common knowledge now among players that you're better off doing Crossfit type exercises that focus more on functional movement, if you want to condition yourself best for Survivor.  

That article reads like Osten revisionist BS to me.  I distinctly remember Osten repeatedly saying on the broadcast show he was alarmed at the degree of muscle mass he’d lost, and blaming both his poor performances in challenges and his lethargy around camp on the deleterious effects of same.

[KimberStormer]

My guess is a very good deal of Osten's troubles were because he was stuck freezing in his underwear all day and night because he so, so stupidly sold all his clothes in the first episode.  That might well be the worst move in Survivor history, honestly.  He was muscley but no fat on him, it's no surprise he was miserable with no insulation.

I've always thought the reason James did so much better than your average Survivor Buff Dude (ah-ah, I see you, don't fight me on this -- James dominated China's premerge in an almost unparalleled way, the only competition I can really think of is Tom in Palau) is that James used his muscles at work digging graves, not just in the gym.

As for David VS Goliath, my early assumption is that the Goliaths will clash with each other and want to vote each other out ASAP, which often is a disaster even for the winner of that battle -- though as we saw this season, with the Dom/Chris rivalry, not always.  I wouldn't be surprised by a David win at all.

[slaterain]

On 5/28/2018 at 6:28 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

God, I hope they drop the theme that soon.  I’m afraid we’ll be hearing confessionals all season referencing it.  

Unfortunately I have a feeling we will get to a point of missing "Naviti Strong" next season. shudder!

[Special K]

Personally, I can't wait to hear those Yahoos saying "As a Goliath..." with a straight face.

[marys1000]

After just totally losing my nut over last season and it ruining the last half the show I'm working hard to not get in quite as deep this season.  

Not really a speculation  post but I'm surprised by the lack of or maybe change in posting?  Seems quiet with more posting in players forums vs. the other way around. 

To keep this slightly on topic I still get a little confused by the David and Goliath thing.  Both are groups of successful people but one group boot strapped themselves up and one 

came from more privilaged backgrounds?  

[Nashville]

6 hours ago, marys1000 said:

To keep this slightly on topic I still get a little confused by the David and Goliath thing.  Both are groups of successful people but one group boot strapped themselves up and one 

came from more privilaged backgrounds?  

Personally, I’m expecting the equivalent of 2/3s of BvBvB.

[LadyChatts]

This show just seems to grasp at straws when it comes to themes anymore.  This season is really a mash up of the Brawn tribe  and World's Apart with how its being divided.  Probst can sure spin any theme to make it sound fresh and original, when he's basically reading from the same cue cards from previous seasons.

Quote

Not really a speculation  post but I'm surprised by the lack of or maybe change in posting?  Seems quiet with more posting in players forums vs. the other way around. 

If you mean lack of spoiler posting, CBS really clamped down after the last few seasons (especially last season, when the pre mergers were all figured out solely based on SM interactions).  There were two contestants this season that actually got in some big trouble for posting on SM together the day they got home, after they had been told not to.  There are posters on other sites who try to guess who made it far based on SM photos and followings, and while this cast did go home and start following each other, the S38 cast is virtually silent on SM.  So I guess TPTB really drove it home.   

[Ms Blue Jay]

Can't wait to join you all again this season.  The break has felt so long.

[Wandering Snark]

I speculate that this year everyone will be talking about keeping 'David Strong' which will be odd... also I can't wait to hear Probst say 'Davids? I got nuthin for ya...' repeatedly, not to mention "Now THAT is how a Goliath does it!"

[Eolivet]

My parents asked if the new season of Survivor was "Tall people vs. short people," because that's what the David vs. Goliath logo in the ad looked like, and now I can't stop thinking that would make a really good Survivor season.

[Whimsy]

Hey guys.  As a reminder, this is the speculation thread, not a general all-topic thread.  Let's stay on topic as to what you SPECULATE will happen this season.  Also, once the show starts, this will also be the place you talk about the previews at the end of each episode. 

[ratgirlagogo]

On 9/18/2018 at 8:19 AM, marys1000 said:

Not really a speculation  post but I'm surprised by the lack of or maybe change in posting?  Seems quiet with more posting in players forums vs. the other way around. 

Yeah, I don't get this either.  I look at the bios but I don't care until the show starts.  This year OTH is the exception for me since I'm quite familar with Johnny Mundo/Bravo/Impact/Hennigan as a wrestling performer.

I also wonder why there are so many more posts in Spoilers than here in Speculation.  I hate being spoiled so I never read there.  Ah well, missed you all and looking forward to Wednesday.

[Lamb18]

On 9/23/2018 at 11:34 PM, Eolivet said:

My parents asked if the new season of Survivor was "Tall people vs. short people," because that's what the David vs. Goliath logo in the ad looked like, and now I can't stop thinking that would make a really good Survivor season.

In that case CBS could do a Big Brother crossover and have JC be on the short team.

I speculate that the Davids will outsmart the Goliaths. Maybe everyone on the team will be named David and there will be too many Daves. (I'm in a goofy mood this morning.)

[peachmangosteen]

6 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I also wonder why there are so many more posts in Spoilers than here in Speculation.  I hate being spoiled so I never read there. 

Yea, I hate that the spoiler thread always seems to be the most active thread. I like speculating, but I don't wanna see any boot spoilers.

[marys1000]

Is there a general all topic thread per season?  I mean this does say "PREVIEW and speculation thread"  

My comment above sort of revolves around this maybe.  Generally, with or without spoilers, people are commenting on players and speculating, talking about interview tidbits freely given in the press.  In one topic area.  Whereas it just seems like a speculation thread and player threads.  

Edited September 26, 2018 by marys1000

[Whimsy]

7 hours ago, marys1000 said:

Is there a general all topic thread per season?  I mean this does say "PREVIEW and speculation thread"  

My comment above sort of revolves around this maybe.  Generally, with or without spoilers, people are commenting on players and speculating, talking about interview tidbits freely given in the press.  In one topic area.  Whereas it just seems like a speculation thread and player threads.  

 

No, there currently is not a “General all topic thread”. We don’t have “all topic” threads as too much, including spoilers, can be brought into it.  It’ll be mayhem!  There is a spoiler thread, a speculation thread, contestant threads, media thread (where interview tidbits, etc, belongs) and episode threads.  If you feel like any of those threads don’t cover something you’d like to discuss, please PM a mod- either myself or @aquarian1.

[LadyChatts]

I seriously hope the preview isn't alluding to a David loss next week.  I can't take the Goliath's winning again.  

And I really hope Lyrsa doesn't go.  I really like her!

[TVFan1]

1 hour ago, LadyChatts said:

I seriously hope the preview isn't alluding to a David loss next week.  I can't take the Goliath's winning again.  

And I really hope Lyrsa doesn't go.  I really like her!

I hear you. The Goliaths seem very sure of themselves and I don't like them. I hope the previews are misleading and the David tribe will win next week.

[MisterBluxom]

I must admit to being very confused by the spoiler rules. I want to predict the winner of this season but I'm afraid it may be considered some kind of spoiler.

Logically, I don't think it should be a spoiler because I have no solid info. It's just a hunch. But I'll put it into a spoiler box anyway in case it might spoil someone else's enjoyment of the show.

 

I have noticed a kind of pattern in recent reality TV shows like Survivor and Big Brother. Very early in the season, one of the players (usually one that has a big ego and maybe brags a little too much) gets a scare. The scare can come in any one of a number of forms. Usually someone makes a comment like they deserve to be voted out or they are put on the block and come close to being evicted. As a result of that scare, they become very cautious and they develop some serious defense mechanisms to deal with the threat of being voted out.  I have a very clear recollection of someone predicting that Richard Hatch would win the first season of Survivor USA based on the fact that he was going around talking about things like "team building" and other phrases that really had  no place in the discussions present in the first few episodes. But, what did that matter?

So ... I will now go out on a limb and predict the winner of this season will be Nick - the lazy Public Defender. Of course, I don't consider him to be lazy at all - not one little tiny bit lazy.  I consider him to be very savvy and astute and I expect this incident will "wise him up" and help him to get into a mental state where he can play in a way that will take him to the end of the season and  I surely do hope that no one here will consider this to be "spoiler info".

 

 

Edited September 27, 2018 by MissBluxom

[ratgirlagogo]

On 9/27/2018 at 5:11 PM, MissBluxom said:

I have no solid info. It's just a hunch.

Yes, that is by definition a speculation.  You aren't basing this on any kind of insider knowledge of the show.

[MisterBluxom]

51 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Yes, that is by definition a speculation.  You aren't basing this on any kind of insider knowledge of the show.

Oh dear. I better  not post in this thread anymore because I have no idea how to tell the difference between spoilers and speculations. I see the moderator warnings almost one on every page and I just have no clue how to tell the difference. So, I best just stay out of these kinds of threads from now on.

I thank you for the info however. It is certainly appreciated.

[LadyChatts]

Pleaaaase tell me that next week's preview showing Jeremy getting pissy at Natalie for allegedly throwing his name out means Goliath loses.  Please show, I can't take them winning anymore, and we're only into episode 2!

[TVFan1]

1 hour ago, LadyChatts said:

Pleaaaase tell me that next week's preview showing Jeremy getting pissy at Natalie for allegedly throwing his name out means Goliath loses.  Please show, I can't take them winning anymore, and we're only into episode 2!

I completely agree. The Goliath tribe is way too cocky and obnoxious, so I hope they lose the immunity challenge next week. It would be so satisfying seeing the David's walk off with the immunity win sending those Goliaths to tribal where they finally lose a member. I wouldn't even care who goes home, at least it will be one of the Goliaths.

[LadyChatts]

1 hour ago, TVFan1 said:

I completely agree. The Goliath tribe is way too cocky and obnoxious, so I hope they lose the immunity challenge next week. It would be so satisfying seeing the David's walk off with the immunity win sending those Goliaths to tribal where they finally lose a member. I wouldn't even care who goes home, at least it will be one of the Goliaths.

I don't want Natalie to go, just to give the girls at Goliath the satisfaction.  John doesn't really want her to go, and I'm not entirely sure if Jeremy does, either.  He was trying to help her this ep be more observant of her actions, even though she failed at understanding what he was getting at.  So maybe those ladies don't have the men wrapped around their fingers like they think.  If it got back to Allison that she's not included in the cool kids club, and John/Jeremy find out the ladies think they have them wrapped around their fingers, they might jump ship.  Knowing Dan has an idol they would need to be careful how they go about plotting, but potentially they could pull off a blindside.  

But a Goliath loss is a Goliath loss.  I'll take it.

[KimberStormer]

4 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

Pleaaaase tell me that next week's preview showing Jeremy getting pissy at Natalie for allegedly throwing his name out means Goliath loses.  Please show, I can't take them winning anymore, and we're only into episode 2!

It wasn't until this moment that I realized there is at least the possibility of another Jeremy/Natalie alliance going on this season.  The last time a Jeremy and a Natalie got together, they both won Sole Survivor....

[LadyChatts]

Tribe swap next week!

Will this be the end of Mason Dixon?  Did Angelina foreshadow Natalie turning on Goliath tonight when she forced the tribe to vote for Jeremy over her? 

Quite honestly, in another season, Angelina's antics in leading the charge to vote Jeremy out probably would have gotten her blindsided in another season.

[TVFan1]

I was kind of hoping the tribe swap wouldn't happen so soon. If the Davids are outnumbered on this swap, the Goliaths will probably stick together. I hope this isn't a Goliath strong season where the Davids are simply picked off. That's boring.

Either way, I'm excited for the swap next week.

[LanceM]

I am curious if this is going to be an uneven swap or if they are going to send someone to an exile island type situation and have them rejoin the game after someone is voted out.

[TVFan1]

49 minutes ago, LanceM said:

I am curious if this is going to be an uneven swap or if they are going to send someone to an exile island type situation and have them rejoin the game after someone is voted out.

Yeah, I was thinking about that. How is that determined again? Is that when they all draw buffs and the one that draws a different color buff gets sent to exile island and gets a free pass from tribal council and rejoins the tribe that lost?

[OutOfTheQuestion]

1 hour ago, LanceM said:

I am curious if this is going to be an uneven swap or if they are going to send someone to an exile island type situation and have them rejoin the game after someone is voted out.

I was actually worried that Bi's knee injury is going to force her out of the game, thus dropping the number to an even 16 players.  But an MCL sprain isn't necessarily that bad, and people are generally only med-evaced in cases of illness or infection.

[Bryce Lynch]

I HATE them doing a tribe swap this early.  Just when tribe dynamics were starting to get interesting, they switch them all up.  How about a "twist" where they never swap tribes or at least don't do it until one tribe has a 3 or 4 person advantage?  

[TVFan1]

7 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I HATE them doing a tribe swap this early.  Just when tribe dynamics were starting to get interesting, they switch them all up.  How about a "twist" where they never swap tribes or at least don't do it until one tribe has a 3 or 4 person advantage?  

I couldn't agree more, although I wouldn't do a tribe swap at all. I don't care how many challenges a certain tribe loses. If a tribe can't win challenges, then that tribe will be down in numbers going into the merge.

[ProfCrash]

21 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I HATE them doing a tribe swap this early.  Just when tribe dynamics were starting to get interesting, they switch them all up.  How about a "twist" where they never swap tribes or at least don't do it until one tribe has a 3 or 4 person advantage?  

 

10 minutes ago, TVFan1 said:

I couldn't agree more, although I wouldn't do a tribe swap at all. I don't care how many challenges a certain tribe loses. If a tribe can't win challenges, then that tribe will be down in numbers going into the merge.

The reality is that a tribe swap with 3-4 advantage is essentially the same as letting a tribe die a slow death losing challenges. The likelihood of the minority tribe ending up in the majority on a new tribe is pretty slim, that is assuming that Production has not found a way to mess with the numbers to make the minority/majority thing happen. I would prefer that they not swap tribes but I think we are long past that being a possibility.

[LadyChatts]

I've just never understood the logic with tribe swaps.  During Palau, they had to merge Stephenie with Koror because she was the last Ulong standing (though I would have loved to hear Probst say "instead of asking whose sitting out, whose the one person that's going to compete against Stephenie").  And during Philippines, Matsing had nearly decimated itself before a tribe swap.  I feel like they pick and choose when they want one.

I do worry about the Davids going into this swap.  Aside from Natalie the Goliath's seem like a tight bunch, and I can especially see Queen Angelina making sure no one wavers from her side if they get a majority of numbers.  The Davids seem tight, too, but a little fractured after the Jessica vote.  

I'd also like to see a season without a tribe swap, but there's a lot of things I'd like to see changed that ain't gonna happen.  It just makes these themes more stupid that they last for a couple of episodes.

[Special K]

I also hate these early tribe swaps.  Just dumb and not considerate of the audience.  :)

I would love it if one time they swapped tribes, and them swapped back after one or two votes.  Like mix them up, but then reconstitute the original tribes with whoever is left.  The numbers probably wouldn't work but it would be interesting!
 

[TVFan1]

These tribe swaps are not only unnecessary, but it seems that the contestants even expect them to happen now. I wish these tribe swaps would just go away, but I know they won't get rid of it.